Five Secrets to Land Your Dream Teaching Job

Vinod Kakumanu

Aug. 21, 2018, 5:15 p.m.

Many a time someone else gets the job you have been looking for. There are a set of people who get their dream jobs easily but not because they are more talented than you, rather they stand out due to their innovative approach. Nowadays, landing a teachers' job is not as easy as it was in the past, due to the fact that schools now expect significantly more from the educators. To be an excellent teacher you need to have that extra zing to be a good mentor, pioneer, and a specialist in educational programs. Here are some principal steps that you can follow to improve your chances of selection while competing for a teachers job –

Planning - Good preparation is vital for being selected as a teacher. You have to be prepared by knowing where and when to apply for the teaching jobs. To gather this information, the most ideal approach is online teacher job portals like www.educatorone.com, human resource departments at schools, attending job fairs and keeping in touch with recruitment agencies. Sometimes even a move to another place can help you since that place might have relatively more openings for teachers.

Make a professional profile/resume – Your resume is taken as a reflection of your personality. Schools often receive thousands of applications and in order to get selected, your resume really needs to be effective. Make your resume a professional one by highlighting your strengths, accomplishments, audio/video demos etc. Your job-objective should be impressive enough to get you selected.

Prepare for the interview – Once you are done with the resume, next comes interview. You need to come across as a relaxed and confident individual to handle even the toughest of interviews. Gone are the days when one used to prepare self for the interview by practicing the run of mill questions like “tell me about yourself”, “where do you see yourself in the next few years”. Nowadays, it is more important to acquaint yourself with the school where you are being interviewed, its activities and about the students and other staff. You ought to get ready to discuss your own particular qualities and learning of distinguished instructions, lecture planning, innovation in the classroom, classroom administration and parental correspondence.

Make sure all your teaching job qualities and skills are known by holding workshops/blogging/Special certifications - Make sure that your application enlists all the special skills you have. In case you speak another language, have a flair for writing, are exceptional in extracurricular activities and sports, you need to highlight these talents. Schools always look out for that individual who can give them something extra. The selection committee needs to know your talents and this enhances your job prospects. Your portfolio should cater to the needs of the school you are applying for, hence you should highlight those. You can start by inviting parents and students and teaching them something really exciting for you and them as well. This is a great way to interact with the community and if you are able to create a bond with them, getting a job in that place becomes easier due to good recommendations from their end. You can even create a blog about a certain topic which you need to share with them and make it viral. This creates more impact since it reaches out to a wider audience. Even social networking sites like facebooks, Instagram may help you land a good job. To get a good teaching job, you need to be abreast yourself with advancements in pedagogy and technology as well. Broadening your teaching skills by doing pedagogical, technical courses from reputed organizations make you attractive to employers.

Sub in the school or district – Subbing is the most effective way to get noticed since you get to meet the faculty and other people from various schools. You need to establish contacts here with almost everybody in the place where you are subbing so that they can help you find a permanent teaching position. Working as a substitute teacher also helps you understand your strong areas and subjects that interest you. It gives you free access to teachers who are working on the subject with you and helps you share your ideas.

Teachers desire a dream job that would allow them to teach and mentor students using their own style and let them showcase their skills effectively. Finding your dream teaching job directly leads to job satisfaction and also a rewarding teaching career. There is no dearth of votaries who assert that no job can compare with that of the teacher’s job since this job gives you the opportunity to share your knowledge with children and shape their future.

Vinod Kakumanu heads a team of school services professionals and is an independent commentator on Indian school education scenario. Vinod has assisted school promoters establish 35+ schools besides providing ancillary services to over 1000 schools across India. He envisions a future where quality education is made available to every child of the country. The focus he places on the quality of the deliverables and customer satisfaction has made him renowned in the field of K-12 school education.